Portion of ceiling plaster comes off at Amritsar railway station

Amritsar, November 6

A portion of the ceiling plaster at the railway station’s general waiting hall here came off recently. Notably, the 160-year-old British-era ceiling had been replaced only a few days ago.

The incident has raised questions over the quality of material and technology used in replacing the British-era ceiling that was able to last for 160 years.

In a letter dated September 9, 2014, the then Northern Railway Divisional Engineer had declared the roof opposite to the current booking office and adjoining offices, near the waiting hall, unsafe. Following this, its demolition had been done in 2019. Back in the day, the building served as the ticket-booking counter and housed passengers’ waiting rooms.

A vendor recalled that passengers sitting under the old building of the waiting hall had to bear the scorching heat in summers. “The same relaxing feeling is now missing from the lintel roof laid in 2019,” he added.

When the incident of plaster collapse occurred recently, the passengers are invariably sitting under the waiting hall and no one was hurt. The construction of the Amritsar railway station was started in 1859 and completed in 1862. It was an example of brick masonry and horse-shoe type arches.

Railway officials said only a plaster of the ceiling had come off where a “jumbo-size” ceiling fan was installed.